La Dame restaurant has added another feather to Silversea Cruises' culinary cap. The fine-dining venue aboard the new Silver Ray earned an Award of Excellence in the 2025 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards, joining a global cohort of wine-forward eateries. The accolade highlights the 120-label list, French-inspired menu, and sweeping sea views that define the La Dame restaurant experience.
Key Points
- Award recognizes 120-label wine list curated for French menu.
- One of 2,010 restaurants worldwide to earn the distinction.
- Venue appears on nearly a dozen Silversea ships, not just Silver Ray.
- Why it matters: validates Cruise ship dining as equal to land-based fine restaurants.
La Dame Restaurant Snapshot - How It Works
La Dame restaurant serves contemporary French cuisine in an intimate, 68-seat room dressed in warm woods and soft lighting. Guests can book a multicourse tasting menu or order à la carte, pairing each plate with selections from Old- and New-World producers. A dedicated sommelier team manages 3,725 bottles stored in specialized onboard cellars. A nominal reservation fee applies, and smart-casual attire is requested. Wine events, including vertical tastings and vintner-hosted dinners, frequently sell out, so advance booking through the Silversea Cruises portal is recommended.
La Dame Restaurant Background Brief - Why Add It
Silversea introduced La Dame in 2016 to elevate its specialty-dining portfolio and to honor "La Dame de Paris," an affectionate nickname for the Eiffel Tower. The concept resonated with guests who wanted a land-quality gastronomic evening at sea, prompting Silversea to replicate La Dame across almost every vessel in the fleet. Over the years, the line invested in larger cellars, temperature-controlled storage, and a training program that certifies onboard sommeliers through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Those moves laid the groundwork for external recognition, culminating in this year's Wine Spectator success.
La Dame Restaurant Recognition
Wine Spectator's 2025 announcement signals a new level of credibility for Cruise gastronomy, where shipboard venues often compete against land-based icons.
Award Criteria Explained
Wine Spectator evaluates restaurants on breadth, depth, and thematic harmony of their wine programs. To qualify for the Award of Excellence, lists must feature at least 90 labels and reflect the style and price range of the menu. La Dame surpassed the threshold with 120 selections that track closely with Chef-de-Cuisine-led French plates. Inventory exceeding 3,700 bottles ensures consistency on long voyages, even when resupply ports offer limited options. The publication cited the restaurant's commitment to sustainability and availability of gluten-free courses as further strengths.
Onboard Expansion Across Fleet
Although the 2025 award names Silver Ray, guests sailing on Silver Nova, Silver Dawn, and seven other ships can book an identical La Dame experience. Each location maintains the same core list while allowing regional flair; for example, Mediterranean itineraries lean into Provençal rosés, whereas Asia Pacific sailings showcase aromatic whites. Fleetwide standardization helps Silversea scale staff training and procurement, preserving brand integrity across oceans.
Elevated Dining Experience
Beyond the wine program, La Dame builds anticipation with panoramic windows that frame sunset views, Crystal stemware selected for each grape varietal, and custom Bernardaud China. Service remains intentionally personal; a two-to-one guest-to-server ratio permits tableside cheese trolleys and spontaneous wine education moments. Recent guest-feedback surveys, shared by a spokesperson for the Cruise line, cite La Dame as the most memorable specialty venue on voyages longer than ten nights.
Analysis
For travelers who value culinary discovery, La Dame restaurant demonstrates that Luxury Cruise lines can rival marquee establishments ashore. The Award of Excellence reassures wine enthusiasts that cellaring conditions meet professional standards, despite the ship's motion and varied climates. Booking an evening at La Dame also delivers practical benefits: wine-pairing dinners cost significantly less than a comparable city meal with taxi fare, corkage fees, and tipping norms. Guests booking Silversea's door-to-door fares receive a one-night specialty-dining credit, effectively offsetting the reservation charge. The accolade may spur rival lines to invest in their own programs, raising the baseline for cruise dining fleetwide. Travelers seeking a refined but relaxed celebration at sea should plan ahead-popular sailings now report wait-lists for peak nights. Internal data from Silversea Cruises show specialty-venue revenue rising 18 percent year over year, attributable in part to La Dame's draw. Wine Spectator's stamp of approval could accelerate that trend.
Final Thoughts
Book La Dame restaurant early in your Silversea voyage plan, especially on itineraries with multiple sea days. Arrive ten minutes before your seating to enjoy the pre-dinner Champagne welcome and study the wine list without rushing. Finally, consider pairing the tasting menu with the sommelier's curated flight; the modest upcharge unlocks bottles rarely poured by the glass. With the 2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in hand, La Dame restaurant promises an evening worth savoring-whether you call yourself a connoisseur or just love a perfect view with dinner.